fighting, friendships, and the final battle
by FuNkIeXkItTiE
Summary: after harry's sixth year, he is left with much grief and guilt, as well as the task of finding the horcruxes. will he be able to cope, when his feelings for ginny keep growing stronger? this is my first fic, so its not the best! review please! and i do ap
1. fighting, friends, and the final battle

Harry Potter lay on his bed at the Burrow in the bedroom he shared with Ron, having left the Dursleys' the day before. Harry had just turned seventeen, meaning he would never have to go back to his aunt's house ever again. This was the only thing he could find to be relieved about. Everything else in young Harry's life was far from pleasant. The death of his headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, left him feeling terrible since his departure from Hogwarts. Just before Dumbledore's death, he and Harry had gone on a search for one of Voldemort's horcruxes, but unfortunately, they had ended up with a fake locket, intead of the one that enclosed a piece of Voldemort's soul. This was another thing Harry was extremely upset about. The death eaters had attacked Hogwarts when he and Dumbledore were not there, and upon returning, Snape had murdered Dumbledore. Harry blamed himself for Dumbledore's death, as well as Sirius' who had died one year ago. To add t that, Harry had ended his relationship with Ginny, to protect her from Voldemort. Now, he had no one left, save Ron and Hermione. But Harry didn't tell them anything anymore. he felt as thoug the distance between the trio was growing, what with Ron and Hermione always quarreling and Harry barely ever around, and the fact that none of them liked to show their feelings and discuss important stuff. Yes, it was a fact. The distance between them was growing significantly each day. 'No,' Harry thought. 'I cat lose Ron and Hermione too. They are practically the only ones left, and even though Ginny is still here, we haven't spoken since Dumbledore's funeral.' Harry knew that it was very likely that Voldemort and his death eaters might go after Ginny, seeing as she was harry's best friend's younger sister and Harry's ex-girlfriend. Harry made a decision. 'tonight, i will go and apologize to Ginny and make sure that even if we are no longer going out, our friendship wil still stand as strong as ever. i would hate it if i lost her and we still weren't speakin. i just have to let her know that i still love her as much as i did before, if not more so.' With that, Harry got up and went downstairs to speak to Ginny.

When Harry reached the living room, he saw Ginny and Ron playing a game of wizard's chess, Ron of course was winning. "Ginny, could i speak to you for a minute?" Harry asked. Ginny, who hadn't noticed him standing there, stared in shock when she saw him. "sure," she replied, and got up and walked back up the stairs with harry and into Harry's room. They sat there in awkward silence for a few minutes, neither of them wanted to speak first. finally, harry started talking. "Ginny, i know that you're probably really pissed off at me, and i really don't blame you, but i have to tell you something. Even though i ended our relationship becaurse i don't want to put you in any more danger than you are already in, i just wanted to tell you that i still love you, and in dark times like these, it is very important to stay close to your friends. i just wanted to keep our friendship as strong as ever." Ginny stared into Harry's eyes for a few seconds, chocolate brown meeting emerald green, and then she looked away and spoke. "Of course i want to keep our friendship strong, Harry. i mean, what are we supposed to do, live in the same house and completely ignore each other?" A smile broke out across Ginny's face. "harry, since we are on speaking terms again, does that mean i can come with you, Ron, and Hermione when you go to find the horcruxes?" Harry stared at her in shock. "how do you know about that?" he asked, still shocked. He had been planning to keep it a secret from Ginny, so she wouldn't come along and risk her life. "Well, you and Ron are always staying up late in your room discussing it, and you didn't have the sense to put charms on the door to keep people from listening, so i heard some of what you said and figured it out. so, can i skip my sixth year at hogwarts and go with you and ron and hermione?" she asked, with a hopeful expression on her face. Harry considered his answer before speaking. "Ginny, i want you to know that even though i don't approve of you going, i can't run your life for you. but also, i'm not the only one whose permission you must get. you also have to get Ron and Hermione to agree to let you go. alright?" Ginny's face fell. "Ron won't let me go, because he says that he doesn't want any harm to come to me, and hermione treates me like i'm ten years younger than her and i'm not worthy enough to do anything!" "well, Ginny, just try. we can work somthing out." Harry gave her a sad smile, before getting up, and holding out his hand to help her up. "well, Ginny," Harry began, "i'm going to let you go and try and convince Ron and Hermione. I'll be up here practicing my occlumency. When i face Voldemort, I don't want him to be able to read my thoughts. i'll see you later gin." ginny walked out of harry's room, closing the door softly. 


	2. two friends less, two more regrets

Harry woke up to the sound of distant yelling. At first, he thought he was still dreaming. Then, he realized that the yelling was coming from downstairs in the living room. Wondering what was wrong, Harry reached for his glasses from beside the bed, and stood up. As he walked down the stairs, the voices became clearer. "...not youe decision...i do or where i go!" one voice yelled. Harry realized that it was Ginny. he stopped in the doorway to the living room so he could hear them without interrupting their "conversation" by showing himself. "...may not be, but you are way to young! ...not experienced enough!" the second voice yelled back. Suddenly, Harry was filled with anger. Hermione was telling Ginny that she wasn't experienced enough, when Ginny had done more fighting one year ago at the department of mysteries than Hermione herself. Harry realized something. He was now filled with a new and unfamiliar feeling. He didn't want Ron and Hermione coming with him when he went to get the horcruxes. He wanted to end his friendship with them once and for all. Or, al least, until Voldemort was gone and there was no more pointless bickering. Harry decided he had to end Hermione and Ginny's fight. He stepped into view, and hollered at the top of his lungs, "ENOUGH!" Hermione looked up and put on a fake expression. "oh, hello, Harry. You wouldn't believe it. Ginyy's been doing some spying and she wants to come with us to destroy the horcruxes. i mean, she's only sixteen, for heavens sake!" Harry tried not to explode with anger at Hermione's words. "yes, Hermione, I happen to know that. Whether you're willing to admit it or not, Ginny is just as experienced as you, if not more so. And whether you like it or not, Ginny is coming with ME when i go to find the horcruxes." Hermione, being the insufferable know-it all that she was, had to correct him. "we" she said. "ron and i are comin too, remember?" Harry put on an innocent smile. "oh no, hermione, i didnt make a mistake. it is YOU who are wrong. you see, only ginny and i are going to find the horcruxes. Just so you know, no one insults ginny and gets away with it. And, i'm afraid, i can't be friends with you until voldemort is gone once and for all. he causes too much stress, and we never get along when we are stressed out. ginny and i are staying until tomorrow morning. we are leaving right after breakfast, once we have told her parents where we are going. So, we can say our goodbyes tomorrow morning. In the meantime, Ginny and i have things to discuss". Harrry turned around swiftly, walking up the stairs, with ginny following. once they got upstairs, harry shut his bedroom door, locked it, and put a silencing charm on it. 

Ginny spoke first. "you didn't have to do that. you didn't have to end your friendship with them because of something said to me." harry looked up, and looked straight into her eyes. "yes i did. i won't have Hermione throwing insults at you. i shouldn't have made you get their permission." harry said. But at the same time, he felt a little more guilt land upon his shoulders. 'why did i just do that? Ron and Hermione were my first friends ever and i just shoved them out of the picture. Great job, Harry. At this rate, you won't have any friends left, not even Ginny!' Just then, Harry noticed a small had waving in front of his face. "Harry, Harry, earth to harry! are you in some kind of a trance or something?" Ginny said, worriedly. "oh, sorry. no, i just got lost in my thoughts. but im okay now." "good" ginny sanid. "Now, where are we going tomorrow, anyway?" "Grimmauld place," Harry answered promptly. "We don't have to worry about anyone finding us there, since i inherited the house from sirius, and the order hasn't had any meetings since dumbledore's death." Immediately, harry felt a pang of guilt. If he and Dumbledore hadn't left the school, the death eaters couldn't have gotten in. "Ginny, we should pack now, so we can go downstairs for dinner and talk to your parents. but remember, don't let ANYTHING slip about where we're going, or about the horcruxes. No one is to know. It would just place us, as well as them, in danger. Just think about what would happen if Voldemort knew that we were disposing of his horcruxes. that would not be very pleasant." "yes, i know" Ginny replied. "well, my trunk is packed. let me help you with yours so we finish earlier." 

At seven pm, Harry and Ginny had finished packing, so they left the bedroom and walked downstairs for dinner. When everyone was sitting down, it was pretty awkward. harry and Ginny weren't talking to hermione and ron, and it was ron's house, and mr. and mrs. weasley were juclueless as to why everything was so quiet. Finally towards the end of the meal, Harry spoke up. "mr. and mrs weasley,tomorrow, Ginny and i will be leaving after breakfast. THe two of us will not be attending hogwarts this year, as we have an important task to complete. It is on dumbledore's orders." telling one lie couldn't hurt. Anyway, dumbledore was the only one that the Weasleys trusted. So far, everything had gone fine, but it took a nasty turn when Hermione spoke up. "Ginny and Hary are going to find all of Voldermorts Horcruxes!" she said loudly, obnoxiously. molly and arthur gasped. before the could say anything, harry made a decision. "I'm sorry , but knowing that information will only put you in danger. Obliviate!" after casting the memory charm, harry and ginny ran upstairs before the weasleys caurght onto what had just happened. "okay, ginny, we're going to have to leave now, just in case Hermione and Ron decide to tell them what we just did." Harry took his firebolt out of his trunk, shrunk the trunk, slipped it in his pocket, did the same to Ginny's, and mounted his broom. "get on the back, Ginny. You don't have a broom, so this is the only way. We just have to fly to the point from which we can apparate, seeing as we cant just walk out. everyone would see us. so lets go!" they were only flying for a minute before they landed, at the apparating point. well, ginny, this is it. grab my arm." she did so, and they disappeared with a crack. 


	3. apparition, lockets, and house elves

Ginny had never side-along apparated before, so she got a nasty surprise when she got the feeling of going through a tube. when they finally landed in the kitchen of grimmauld place, Ginny was relieved. Hey Ginny, let's go put our things upstairs and unpack," Harry said, sounding very tired. Ginny just nodded in reply, and the walked upstairs to their rooms. Harry went to the room he usually shared with Ron, and Ginny went to the one she usually shared with Hermione. Harry had just charmed his trunk back to normal size when Ginny walked into his room. "Do you think i could sleep in Ron's old bed? It's weird to be in my room all alone" she spoke softly. "Of course" Harry said. "anything else?" "yea," Ginny said. Harry raised an eyebrow at her. "i need you to make me trunk bigger." 

Once they were all settled in, Harry took out a fat book and started looking through it. Ginny surprised to see him reading, asked him about it. "It's a photo album," he told her. "It's got pictures of my parents when they were alive." Ginny suddenly felt sympathy for the boy sitting next to her. He had been through so much more than what most people credited him for. Facing Voldemort on countless occasions would be a walk in the park compared to all the emotions he felt: pain, guilt, sadness, and most of all, love. Harry had to watch so many of the loved ones in his life being killed. Most people would go insane from seeing things like that. Looking over his shoulder, Ginny saw a photo of Lily and James Potter holding baby Harry. All three of them looked happy, surprisingly. When Ginny looked more closely at the picture she was surprised and shocked, to say the least, that Lily and James, looked almost exactly like her and harry. 

Neither Ginny nor Harry could get to sleep that night. They were both too caught up in their thoughts. Ginny was thinking about what would happen in the future. would Voldemort die? And if so, would she and harry end up together with a child, looking as happy as lily and James? It made her think. What would things be like right now if Voldemort didn't have to mess everything up? Would she and Harry still be going out? would she even have fallen in love with him? would she even know that he existed? Harry thoughts were quite similar to ginny's. What would happen if Harry potter were not the boy who lived? WWould he ever meet ginny and fall in love with her? would ginny like him? would he have met ron and hermione? would he have to ever see the dursleys? would he have ended up in the triwizard tournament? endless questions came to mind. Finally, Harry fell asleep. As soon as his eyes closed and he entered the subconcious world, Harry got stuck in one of his nightmares. Once again, Harry was Voldemort. "Are you sure that is true, wormtail?" he hissed. "Y-Yes, my lord. We caught the mudblood girl when she was in diagon alley shopping for new robes. we gave her veritaserum, and she said that potter and his Girlfriend were looking for your horcruxes." "ah, yes." harry hissed. "Now, since you know about my horcruxes, i must cast a memory charm on you" harry pointed his wand at wormtail. "n-no, please, my lord! plea--""OBLIVIATE!" Harry woke up, sweating. he would tell ginny about his dream in the morning. For now, he would try to get some more sleep. 

"Harry! wake up!" Ginny yelled the next morning. "im hungry. Get your lazy arse outof bed and come downstairs so we can make breakfast!" "unngghh" Harry wasn't in the mood to wake up early. But he decided it would be simpler to just get up and help make breakfast. once harry was dressed, he went downstairs and started making some eggs and bacon the muggle way, thats the way harry was used to, having grown up with the dursleys. once they were seated at the table, Ginny voiced the question that had been popping into her head since two days ago. "harry, when are we going to start looking for the horcruxes?" harry finished chewing his eggs before answering. "oh, probably not for at least another week. we need to do some research first, and i want to practice my occlumency. Why do you ask?" "well, i was just wondering how much time we're going to spend here. we might find some valuable information here. after all, it is the noble house of black, there should be plenty of books about dark stuff. there must be some about horcruxes." Harry dropped his fork. his eyes had a glazed look. "harry?" ginny sounded worried. "are you alright?" Harry finally spoke. "Ginny, i thing i know who took the locket horcrux that dumbledore and i went looking for. obviously, it was a death eater, to address him as 'my lord'. i think it was sirius' brother, regulus alphard black. the initials fit, it makes sense, and we did find lots of lockets around here when we cleaned the house, remember?" Ginny looked a little doubtful. "yes, i remember, and it does make sense, but how could we find it? i mean, this house is pretty big, and there must be tons of lockets here!" Harry had only one word to answer ginny's question: "Kreacher." 


End file.
